Local real estate and investment company Zephyr has named Joseph Wong of Joseph Wong Design Associates (JWDA) lead architect of their 60,000-square-foot (5,500-square-meter) mixed-use development planned for downtown San Diego. The Block, as it is currently known (the developer has yet to select a final name), will be the first high-rise, mixed-use project in the city since the recession. With an estimated cost exceeding $250 million, the development promises to be a major catalyst in the demographic and architectural transformation of San Diego’s urban core.

Wong’s design features two 21- and 41-story towers rising from a residential and retail platform. According to the architect, the towers’ siting and massing were influenced primarily by local conditions – including setback requirements and the creation of a sun access envelope for a planned public park to the northeast – as well as a desire to maximize views and sunlight.